A career high for the top-class Hellbent mare Magic Time when she unleashed a withering finish to capture Saturday's $1,000,000 Group 1 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Michael Dee for Grahame Begg, Magic Time came with a sweeping run from midfield to defeat the I Am Invincible mare I Am Me by a length with fast-finishing Headwater gelding Strait Acer a neck back in third.
With her fourth stakes success, Magic Time advances her record to five wins and two thirds from eight starts with earnings of $1,205,775.
The 4-year-old mare carries the colours of her breeder, John Muir's Milburn Creek Thoroughbred Stud, after failing to make her $150,000 reserve at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Grahame Begg said switching Magic Time to the Rupert Clarke was a late decision.
"We had the plan to take her to Sydney," Begg revealed.
"The Invitation was the race we set her for up there, and we could have left her up there to run in the Hot Danish last week, but I thought I'd bring her back, run her in the handicap with 53 (kilos) on her back.
"I thought it was a great race for her. 1400 metres, good speed on, the right recipe for her and she's got the job done.
"I said to Michael before the race don't change anything just because the track is racing that way on speed. Be positive out of the gates, but get cover, don't work up the hill and give her the opportunity to round her race off and she certainly did that."
Magic Time was the third leg of a 4-timer at Caulfield for Michael Dee.
"She’s usually a mare that naturally puts herself on speed and I always knew there was going to be a massive amount of speed in this,” Dee said.
“We didn’t get any favours, she’s done it tough, punched the breeze and got pushed wider on the corner.
“To her credit that was a super effort.”
Magic Time is the first foal of Group III winning Nicconi mare Time Awaits, whose two year-old colt by Dundeel, named Henlein, was sold by Milburn Creek at Inglis Easter for $300,000 to Freedman Racing/Julian Blaxland.
Time Awaits has a yearling colt by Maurice (Jpn), but no foal this spring after missing to Wild Ruler.
Magic Time is the first Group 1 winner for Yarraman Park Stud’s I Am Invincible stallion Hellbent.
